MP Abdulwahab Al-Babtain

KUWAIT: MP Abdulwahab Al-Babtain demanded referring a report made by the ministerial committee formed after grilling Oil Minister Bakheet Al-Rasheedi to the public prosecution, especially with the presence of suspicions of violating public funds and the involvement of a senior official at the Vietnam refinery in some cases. "It is mandatory to refer the report to the prosecution. Check your answers to the grilling motion and compare them to the committee's report. Be up to your responsibilities and step down immediately!" he said, addressing the minister. Babtain warned HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah not to yield to the pressure on the cabinet to reject and question the ministerial committee's report.

Behind schedule

A government document showed that delay in launching the clean fuel commercial project has reached over a year as the project is expected to start operation on Sept 4, 2019. The document also showed that the project's mechanical works are expected to be finished on March 31, 2019, while primary operation is scheduled to start on June 4, 2019 and end on Sept 4, 2019. In response to a parliamentary inquiry by MP Omar Al-Tabtabaei concerning the project's delay, Oil Minister Bakheet Al-Rasheedi said the project will be launched in June 2018 and that it involves a long and complicated series of procedures that might take over a year.

Annual bonus

Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf denied that the Central Bank of Kuwait's board members receive any incentives other than the annual KD 5,000 bonus approved by the cabinet in 2005. Responding to a parliamentary inquiry by MP Al-Humaidi Al-Subaei in this regard, Hajraf explained that the finance and commerce ministries' representatives at the bank get an annual bonus of KD 4,000 each.

Doctor passes away

Dr Talal Al-Shemmari of Jahra Hospital died yesterday while on night duty, said informed sources, noting that the young doctor's sudden demise was met with great grief.

Camping conditions

Well informed sources at Kuwait Municipality stressed that this year's camping conditions will be the same as last year. Nevertheless, he said that a joint committee including relevant bodies will further discuss whether to keep the same conditions or add new ones. Urging licensed campers to fully respect the conditions, the sources explained that current conditions include leaving a 100-m gap between camps, allowing online selection of camps of up to 1,000 sq m through the Municipality website, not allowing alteration of the selected site and giving Kuwait Municipality the right to alter or remove camps at any time without objection or compensation by the campers.

By A Saleh